Kiran Trouble for Hooda
Cabinet expansion put off for a dayHigh command seeks “fresh
perspective” on names
Chandigarh, November 5
The proposed cabinet expansion in Haryana seems to have hit a roadblock with the government postponing the ceremony at the eleventh hour here tonight.

Chinks in pension scheme exposed
Jind, November 5
Irregularities have allegedly been detected in implementation of the Old Age Pension scheme in Dahola village of the district.

Joining hands for a causeKarnal residents form human chain for Kalpana Chawla collegeKarnal, November 5
At least 30,000 schoolchildren and citizens joined hands to make a 30-km-long human change to support the demand for a Kalpana Chawla medical college
in the city.

Residents of Karnal donning black badges form a chain to press for a medical college in the city named after Kalpana Chawla. Tribune photo: Ravi Kumar

Student’s Murder
Principal blamed for lawlessness
Nilokheri, November 5
Shaken by the brutal murder 20-year-old engineering student Amit at Government Polytechnic,
Nilokheri, in broad daylight yesterday, the teachers today blamed the principal of the polytechnic for his indifferent attitude towards increasing indiscipline in the campus and frequent entry of outside elements.

Ajay: Cong shown its place by voters
Sirsa, November 5
Indian National Lok Dal secretary-general Ajay Singh Chautala said today that the electorate had shown mirror to the Congress government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda that had been claiming its popularity after the parliamentary polls.

Sugar mills delaying payments: Nain
Sirsa, November 5
Bharatiya Kisan Union president Ghasi Ram Nain today said the government should have increased the cane prices in accordance with the hike in input costs. Nain said the biggest problem before the cane farmers was the inordinate delay in the release of payments by coop
sugar mills.

Specifications relaxed for damaged rice
Chandigarh, November 5
The Central government has agreed to relax specifications for damaged-slightly damaged and discoloured rice grains from 3 per cent to 4 per cent for Haryana as it was done in the case of Punjab about one month back. Union Agriculture and Food Minister Sharad Pawar accepted Haryana’s demand at a meeting with Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda at New Delhi today.

Ruchika trial shifted
Chandigarh, November 5
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has shifted the trial of the Ruchika molestation case from Ambala to Chandigarh. Haryana’s former DGP, SPS Rathore is prime accused in the case.

Kiran Trouble for Hooda
Cabinet expansion put off for a day
High command seeks “fresh
perspective” on namesGeetanjali Gayatri
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 5
The proposed cabinet expansion in Haryana seems to have hit a roadblock with the government postponing the ceremony at the eleventh hour here tonight. The high command is learnt to have sought a “fresh perspective” on the names that will constitute the cabinet team and the ceremony could now be held on November 7.

Also, while the Congress is bargaining hard through mediators to rope in the HJC, sources said a “re-look” sought by the party high command could also have to do with the fact that Kiran Choudhry as also a few MPs met the party top brass to express their displeasure over “ignoring of senior leaders in
the House”.

That cabinet formation in Haryana was not going to be a cakewalk was evident when the Congress first staked its claim to form the government. Sources said even as hectic lobbying was on for cabinet berths within the party as also to “accommodate” Independents and keep some berths vacant for the HJC, Choudhry had turned down the offer for a ministerial berth in the cabinet and had conveyed her decision to the party high command a couple of days back. She was initially considered among the few “certain names” that would make it to the cabinet in the first round itself. Sources said Choudhry, who was offered the berth of minister of state (MoS) in the new cabinet to be formed under CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, had declined the position on grounds that she should be given a full ministership in the second term, failing which she would rather keep out of the cabinet. It is learnt that she met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and conveyed her sentiments to her. Her contention was that she had already been a two-time MLA in Delhi before she moved to Haryana where she was now a second-timer and deserved a senior rank.

It is learnt that a few party MPs from the state met the top brass in the Congress and backed Choudhry’s claim for a cabinet rank in this new term. Sources in CM camp, meanwhile, have their own reasons for their inability to “accommodate” Choudhry as cabinet minister, stating that the priority of the party is to run a “stable government”.

Choudhry, it is learnt, was urged to reconsider her decision and initially accept the position of MoS and could subsequently be elevated to cabinet rank. Sources said given the fact that the party was still trying to “manage” HJC supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi and his five MLAs to get them around to the party’s point of view of a merger, it was not possible to “accommodate” Choudhry right away.

Stating that some berths needed to be kept vacant for the HJC while some would go to the Independents, the state leadership also had the additional responsibility of balancing caste
equations.

Jind, November 5
Irregularities have allegedly been detected in implementation of the Old Age Pension scheme in Dahola village of the district.
Several persons below the age of 60 years have been found drawing pension, which is illegal as per norms laid down by the
government.

This was revealed after information was sought by Pawan Kumar, a resident of the Dahola village, under the RTI Act regarding the age of some of the beneficiaries of the scheme.

The information provided by the Social Welfare Department to the applicant left him stunned when he found that as many as nine persons drawing the pension (old age) were still under the age of 60 years.

According to Pawan Kumar, the information provided by the department against his application revealed that the date of birth of the beneficiaries identified as Baru, son of Baldev, was 10-03-1957, Raghuvir, son of Phoola, was 05-02-1957, Sher Singh, son of Rattan Singh, was 08-03-1954, Jai Prakash, son of Dhanna, was 08 03 1950, Kali Ram, son of Ami Lal, was 31-03-1954, Baje Singh, son of Bhim Singh, was 15-03-1954, Balwan, son of Kanhaiya, was 13-04-1960, Ram Kumar, son of Gogi, was 10-08-1953, and Randhir, son of Deva, was 18-07-1953.

However, the pension performa filled and submitted with the department (26-11-08) shows the age of these applicants ranging from 60 to 61 years.

He claimed that it stands proved that there had been ‘irregularities’ in the old age pension in case of several of the beneficiaries in the village and this could be applicable to many others as well.

He said he has submitted a written complaint to the authorities concerned, including the Deputy Commissioner, SP, DGP, Haryana, and the Commissioner of the Social Welfare Department of Haryana for a thorough probe into the matter.

Karnal, November 5
At least 30,000 schoolchildren and citizens joined hands to make a 30-km-long human change to support the demand for a Kalpana Chawla medical college inthe city. Kalpana Chawla Medical College Nirman Committee backed by various organisations has been struggling for a year now to get the demand met. Volunteers and activists of various organisations, supported by students from 34 schools, swarmed the roads and formed a chain along the roads in Karnal to demonstrate that they continued to rever Kalpana Chawla as an outstanding astronaut.

Pritpal Singh Pannu, convener of the committee, said the show of strength for the noble cause indicated the resentment among residents against successive governments for failing to set up a college in memory of Kalpana Chawla.

Three MLAs from Karnal, Pandit Jile Ram Sharma from Assandh, Narender Sangwan from Gharaunda and Mamu Ram Gonder from Nilokheri, Youth Congress general secretary Varinder Rathore and Congress working committee president Suresh Matlouda joined the chain at Committee Chowk.

They promised to raise the issue in the assembly.Virender Rathore said he would take up the matter with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

Employees of different government departments in Karnal expressed their solidarity by wearing black badges. On a call by district president of the Sarv Karmchari Sangh, Haryana, Om Parkash Singmar and district president of Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh Satpal Sharma, the employees held gate meetings at their offices while advocates suspended work on the call of the District Bar. Pannu said a signature campaign had been launched in support of the demand and 3 lakh signatures collected as of now.

A memorandum with signatures of more than five lakh residents of Karnal would be handed over to the PM within this month.

He said the Karnal MP, Dr Arvind Sharma, would also be reminded of his promise to take up the cause. Pannu said in spite of the fact that residents of Karnal were forced to take their seriously ill either to the PGI in Chandigarh or the AIMMS in New Delhi, the government had exhibited an apathetic attitude towards their demand.

Nilokheri, November 5
Shaken by the brutal murder 20-year-old engineering student Amit at Government Polytechnic,
Nilokheri, in broad daylight yesterday, the teachers today blamed the principal of the polytechnic for his indifferent attitude towards increasing indiscipline in the campus and frequent entry of outside elements.

A delegation of the teachers met DC J S Ahlawat and demanded the arrest of the culprits. It also apprised him of the deteriorating law and order and indiscipline in the campus, making the inmates feel
unsafe.

Parminder Mann, a teacher, said he had complained to the principal regarding the unsafe atmosphere in the institution when outsiders disturbed classroom teaching on October 27. But instead of taking effective measures to set things right, the principal sought his explanation as to why he had walked away from the class.

Eve-teasing had become common and girl students in the evening shift, which ended at 5.45 pm, found it difficult to go out with rowdy elements passing offensive remarks. The teachers said there had been a spurt in the activities of anti-social elements and outsiders since last month and even the staff felt unsafe.

The teachers said even today a mob of more than 50 had entered the campus and compelled the students to refrain from studies as a protest against yesterday’s murder.

Another reason for the indiscipline was that there was no regular principal in the polytechnic with a strength of 4,500 students. The strength of the guest faculty was three times the regular faculty.

Sirsa, November 5
Indian National Lok Dal secretary-general Ajay Singh Chautala said today that the electorate had shown mirror to the Congress government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda that had been claiming its popularity after the parliamentary polls.

Sirsa, November 5
Bharatiya Kisan Union president Ghasi Ram Nain today said the government should have increased the cane prices in accordance with the hike in input costs. Nain said the biggest problem before the cane farmers was the inordinate delay in the release of payments by coop
sugar mills.

“Farmers are not treated well by these mills. They have to sit with their crops for days before their produce is weighed by the mill staff,” Nain alleged and demanded that the mill managements should arrange for transportation of cane to the mills.

The BKU leader alleged that coop mills had been delaying payment to farmers for long.

“In many cases farmers fail to get payment against the sugarcane supplied even after a year,” he alleged. He demanded that the payment either be made in advance or immediately after the stock accepted by the mills. Nain, who spearheaded a prolonged farmers’ agitation during the INLD regime, said Om Parkash Chautala’s party had been able to get 32 seats in the assembly because of Congress infighting.

“Congress leaders should learn a lesson from the results and stop sabotaging one another’s political careers,” Nain said.

Chandigarh, November 5
The Central government has agreed to relax specifications for damaged-slightly damaged and discoloured rice grains from 3 per cent to 4 per cent for Haryana as it was done in the case of Punjab about one month back. Union Agriculture and Food Minister Sharad Pawar accepted Haryana’s demand at a meeting with Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda at New Delhi today.

Hooda said that since Punjab and Haryana are in the same agro-climatic zone and similar varieties are grown and common conditions prevails. It was pointed out that any relaxation in specifications in case of Punjab should be made applicable to Haryana also. The Chief Minister said that the drought in Haryana had caused shrivelling and new varieties like PAU 201 had been introduced.

He pointed out that due to delay in relaxation of specifications, the millers were not supplying rice. Pawar assured that relaxation in specifications for damaged-slightly damaged and also for discoloured rice grains given to Punjab would be applicable to Haryana also.

Chandigarh, November 5
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has shifted the trial of the Ruchika molestation case from Ambala to Chandigarh. Haryana’s former DGP, SPS Rathore is prime accused in the case.

The orders were passed by Justice SD Anand. The case was shifted to Chandigarh with the consent of both parties.